Pump up your workouts with these gadgets

Carol Sponagle

Monday

Sep 28, 2009 at 12:01 AMSep 28, 2009 at 7:54 PM

If you like to run, walk, cycle or swim, getting a good workout can be as simple as working up a sweat and feeling muscles burn. For some people, exercise is better with gadgets. Electronic gear can be helpful when it comes to getting in shape and setting goals by making it easier to know how intense, how long or how far to keep moving.

If you like to run, walk, cycle or swim, getting a good workout can be as simple as working up a sweat and feeling muscles burn.

But for some people, exercise is better with gadgets. Electronic gear can be helpful when it comes to getting in shape and setting goals by making it easier to know how intense, how long or how far to keep moving.

But getting geeked out with gadgets can become cumbersome, awkward and even distracting when it comes to getting a good workout. Having the latest and greatest can also be expensive.

So, if you're going to spend money on a device to help your workout, be sure to make the most of your money by finding the right fit.

Tricia Cross, fitness director at Fit Club's South and West branches in Springfield, is a fan of the Exerspy interactive system. The Exerspy is an armband device that can be worn all day - during workouts, at the office and at home - to calculate calorie burn. You can connect it to a computer to tabulate your calorie intake versus what you're burning off.

Cross said several people have had "amazing results" using similar devices. But she cautioned that real fitness comes with sticking to a plan.

"For those people who follow the program and stick to a healthy diet ... you'll see results," she says. "You can buy something, but unless you implement the program, you won't see results."

Here are other consumer picks found at local sport stores and online (prices and availability are based on market research):

A simple pedometer ($30 to $40) is ideal for walking, hiking or running to calculate mileage. Some units, such as the Oregon Scientific, measures steps, calories, speed and exercise time - and it has a daily alarm. It can be worn in your pocket, around your neck or in a bag.

A sport watch can provide everything you need for a good workout. For $45-$60, Timex offers the IRONMAN Triathalon watch in a variety of colors and styles. This watch tracks time, laps and intervals.

Wristwatch heart rate monitors, such as the Polar F11, tell you the intensity of your workout. Look for a device that has an easy-read display and an alert feature to signal when you are above or below target heart rate. Some models come with a chest strap for more accurate heart-rate readings. These gadgets can cost anywhere from $80 to $150.

For a little more (about $200-$300, depending on model), Polar also offers a wristband training computer that adapts to personal exercise habits. Its features include target heart-rate zone indicators, calorie expenditures and synchronization with Polar Personal Trainer (an online exercise journal).

Wristwatch GPS units run anywhere from $80 to $400, depending on features. They come with an array of options: GPS tracking to monitor and set mileage, pace, intervals, laps, calories burned and heart rate. Some models include a USB stick so you can upload data to your computer.

If you like to run on trails or in metropolitan areas, consider the Garmin Forerunner 305 wrist-top unit with super-sensitive GPS. Also consider the Garmin Foot Pod if you're thinking of buying the Forerunner 305 to transmit real-time data from your shoe to the GPS.

For a serious gear-up, the Timex Bodylink system is a personal radio network of devices that act together as a single monitoring system and includes software for keeping track of fitness progress and goals. The linked heart-rate monitor, GPS and data recorder come with a price tag of about $275-$350.

The Nike+ SportBand came on the market last year and can be used in conjunction with the iPod nano, iPod touch or iPhone. If you already have an iPod or iPhone, the SportBand is just $59 for a wristband device that gives real-time performance feedback on distance, pace, time and calorie burn. The SportBand has a sensor that slips into a Nike+ shoe or can be attached to shoestrings of any shoe.

Nokia Sports Tracker is a GPS-based activity tracker package that runs on Nokia smartphones. Available as a download, it has an integrated GPS to record position, speed, distance and pace during outdoor workouts. Use the training diary to chart aspects of your workout on Google Maps or Google Earth and integrate your information on Facebook.

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